It was the Annual Management Conclave which was organized between October 5 and 7. The theme for this year was 'Bharat ek Khoj' with sub themes of 'Rediscovering Rural India', 'Unleashing India Inc.' and 'Unlocking the Human Potential'.
The conclave was formally inaugurated on October 5 by Dr A Jayathilak, the district collector of Kozhikode. Dr Jayathilak was the MD of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation for 5 years and was instrumental in orchestrating the "God's Own Country" campaign. He delivered an insightful opening address on rediscovering Rural India. There are two Indias, he said - Real India ie., Rural India and Virtual India ie., living in bigger cities. He dwelt on the increasing chasm between Rural and Urban India and pointed out that the current pace of growth will not be sustained unless it becomes inclusive. There are 2 drivers of growth in India – IT and Retail.
Mr. Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults, said, "In 3 years time, the IT exports will increase from USD 40Bn to 65Bn, but the Retail industry will increase from USD 33Bn to 360Bn. Both are largely urban and need to penetrate into the rural market to offer any hope of sustainable growth. Retail will be the biggest growth driver for rural India. But the rural market is not a cow to be milked. It needs to be understood - with humility."
On the subject of growth, Mr. Abheek Singhi, Partner and Director of Boston Consulting Group cited investor confidence and M&As as the drivers behind India's growth. Mr. Singhi went on to explain the nuances of M&As and the role consultants play in the same.
CEO of Marico's Consumer Products Division, Mr. Saugata Gupta, drew upon his experience and shared his secret to becoming a "Winning Manager".
Mr. P K Kesavan, Director, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said that rural growth can be achieved by unearthing business opportunities in rural areas and generating employment. A good example of this was shared by Mr. Sunil Chainani, Director, Fabindia Overseas Pvt. Ltd. Fabindia with over 20,000 craftsmen across 250 districts working for it, focuses on bridging the urban-rural divide by bringing the best of rural craft to the urban customer.
The conclave ended with the HR Summit in which eminent HR Managers like Mr. Narayanan Nair, VP-HR of Mphasis EDS and Mr. Sheen Sunny Akkara, Director, Resource Management, Deloitte Consulting participated. The panel discussion mainly focused on the strategic role of HR in today's business environment. The changing expectations of organizations and the impact of globalization on the HR policies of companies were also debated.
In the run up to the Conclave, Chanakya, an online quiz was held daily for a week which saw thousands take part in it. Ranniti, a one of a kind online treasure hunt was also organized. The Contact Singapore Case Study was also launched as part of the event. In a B-Plan Guidance workshop Mr. Gururaj Potnis, CEO of Manthan Services gave key tips to the budding entrepreneurs.
